Stenographic machine



(No Model.)

No. 399,247. f

2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

G. A. DAMON. STENOGRAPHIG MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

darizbjamwz.

(No Model.) w 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. A. DAMON.

STENOGRAPHIG MAGHNE. No. 399,247'. Patented Mar; l2, 1889.

WZ-nesses: Imam/or:

UNITED STATES Arent @mien Clfli-XRLF, A. HAMON, OF lEN'lON, lllltillllGAiN.

STENOGRAPHIC MACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,24*?, cla-.ted March 12, 1889,

Application filed April 22, 1836.

This invention relates to -eertain new and nsetul nnprovenlents 'in stenographie inaehines.

.lhe invention eonsists in the peeulinreonstruction, arrangement., and etnnhination of eertain parts, all as hereinafter deserilled, and pointed out in the elainis.

Figure] is a plan showing' the arrangement et' the key-lmers. Figs. Q and 3 are side elerations of the opposite Sides. Fig'. 4 is a vertical erossseetion on the line Fig. Fig. 5 is a wf'ertieal cent-ral section. Fig. t3 is a plan, on a larger sea-le, of the ribbon-feed. Fig. 7 is a Cross-section showingr an end elevation ol' the ribbon-leed, and Fig. S is a perspective View of part ot the maehine with the paperearrier folded down.

In the aeeonipanyingdrawings, which forni a part otf this speeieation, a series oli keys marked il to lil are arranged in suitable proximity to eat-h other, to be rapidly actuated by the lingers olE the operator, the keys l to l being conveniently arranged for the lingers of the left hand, the keys 5 to S for the ingers of the right hand, the inner key, t), for the eonnnon use of the two thumbs, and the kejyv l0, plaeed in front of the finger-keys and on a little higher level, is tor the eonnnon use of middle and fore finger of eaeh hand. The key-levers marked ll to] t3, towhieh these keys are seenred, are arranged in a plane preferahly slightly inclined from l'ront to rear. They are hinged at the rear ends, so as to he eapahle ol moving` in a vertical plane, and are sutfieiently tar apart to prevent interference with each other and with the dilterent keys. The levers are connected in pairs, eaeh pair forminga single frame, as shown, so that the keys for one hand operate the saine leveri'raine as the eorresponding keys for the other hand.

The forward ends of the lever-trames ll l2 13 l5 1G approach eaeh other closely, and

Serial No. 19J,'73. (No model.)

eaeh has scoured to its under side the independent markers 17 to El, arranged in aline from vfront to rear. The leverfl'raine ll earries at the lronl end a @ross-liar, 32, Whieh passes umlernealh the other lever-trames, so that in ilreljn-essing anyv ol' these trames the lever-frame ll is also depressed. rlhe key Secured upon this lever-frame is Called the spacing-key, as it aetuates a spacing deviee instead of a marker. All of the leven frames have suitable springs plaeed undee neath lllein, so arranged as to oppose their tension to the notion oli" the iingers in depress ing;l the levers, and lo preventupward displacement h5' the aetlon et these springs a suitable yoke or stop, lll, is secured over the top of the levers.

Underneath the markers and in the direction 'from front to rear is placed anV inked ribbon, 23, the opposite ends of which are arranged to Wind in opposite directions upon the feed-rollers l The ink-ribbon passes around the loose rollerlfi and over the paperteed roller 27. Each of the ribbon-feed rolls lll and 25 has a ralehet-wheel, 30 3l, respeet irely seeuret'l upon one end, between which is placed the revei.sil.lle gravit;vv feed-pawl 28, suspended from the end of the reversing-lever Q9, which latter is seeured, aeeessihlyvto the operattn', to the under side of the Pross-liar 2i* ol the spacing-lever frame. The ratchetwheels have spring-elieks 32 33, one for eaeh Wheel, Connected. to a sliding bar, 3l, which is formed with a slot, n, at eaeh end engaging a pin on the standard l), and is engaged hy the reversing-lever hy means of the pin l2, all so arranged that in one position of the reversi'ng-lever Eil the leedpawl 2S engages with the ratchet-wheel 3l, and the @liek 33 engages with the saine Wheel While the @liek il? vis out of engagement. 3y turning the re- Yersing-lerer Eil i nto its alternative position the lieedqlan'l engages with the rztleliet\vlleel. 3U, 'While the elieks arecorrespondingly reversed. By the aetion oli' the keylevers on the erosshar 22 the ink-ribbon thus gradually Wou nd upon one and unwou n d from the other one ot' the two fel rolls Q5 2G. The operator at suitable inier'fals reverses the .l'eed to eause the rihhon to wind and unwind in the opposite di reetion. The paper is Wound on a roll, 35, detaehably secured. Within the IOC standard 3G, which latter is placed in convenient rela-tion to the feed-101127. In the path of the paper is placed the hinged frame 37, which has an aperture near its upper end for the paper to pass through, and also carries the loose pressure-roll 3S, pressing down upon the face of the paper-feed roll by the tension of the spring 39, connected to the. hinged frame. The feed of the paper is accomplished by an arm, 45, connected at one end to the cross-bar of the spacing-frame and carrying at the other end a Vfeed-pawl which actuates a little ratchet-Wheel secured upon the shaft ot' the paper-feed roll, all so ar-V ranged that at every depression of one of the keys the pawl will 'feed the paper a specific distance.

The standard which carries the paper-roll is pivoted at 50 to a toet, which latter is preferably swiveled to the bed-plate 5l by the pivot-pin 52, all so arranged that the standard may, by ti pping and turning it,be shoved underneath the lever-trames for more convenient transportation.

As this machineis specifically intended for stenographic use, it is evident that such improvements as are designed to increase the speed are ot the greatest value. One important point is that the paper strip receives the impress on top, and in sight of the operator, which saves the writer much valuable timeas, for instance, in ascertaining, as is occasionally required, the last word or words of a written sentence 5 further, the keys and levers have the natural incline conducive to 'fast writing and printing; further, the machine can be made very compact on account of the kind of levers used, whicl1,with equal effect, are shorter than levers of so-called first degree.7 rlhe arrangement of the reversible ribbon-'feed is very simple, keeps the ink from drying, and thus permits long-continued use. The swiveling of the paper-roll standard to permit folding under the levers also helps to make the machine compact.

I am aware of the English Patent No. 295 of 186i, and make no claim to the construction shown therein as forming part of my in- -vention.

\Vhat I claim as 1n y invention is l. In a stenographic machine, substantially as described, the combination, with a bedplate, of the operating keys and levers arranged in a plane above the bed-plate and slight-ly inclined to the rear, an inkribbon feed and a paper-feed arranged inthe space between the bed-plate and the forward ends ot the key-levers, and the paper-carriage having a swiveled standard to permit folding underneath the keys, all substaiitially dcscribed.

2. In astenographic maehine, substantially as described, the combination, with the spacing-key, its lever and cross-bar, of a reversible ink-feed actuated thereby, and consisting ot the feed-rollers 24 25, loose roller 26, ratchet-wheels 30 3l, reversible gravity-pand 28, reversing-lever 29, and spring-clicks 32 33, connected to and operated by the reversinglever, all substantially as described.

CHARLIE A. DAMON.

XVitnesses:

A. U. Woon, ALFRED GANsoN. 

